Many of us are familiar with the tradition of Dry January, where people aim to give up alcohol for the entire first month of the year. While this might sound like an event that alcohol brands dread, it turns out this year’s Dry January stayed pretty damp as Purchase Intent Rates for alcohol stayed consistently high throughout the month. Here’s what MikMak found out about last month’s alcohol purchasing habits.
Consumers started shopping for alcohol again as early as January 5th
In previous years, we have consistently seen it takes about two weeks for Purchase Intent Rates (which measures the rate at which a shopper proceeds to a retailer from media) to start to rise for alcohol. However, at the start of 2023, we saw this rise in Purchase Intent happen even earlier than in years past, with an increase from around 4 percent to just under 8 percent on January 5th.
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As illustrated in our recent pre-Super Bowl blog, Purchase Intent Rates in January were especially high around weekends during the NFL Playoffs. Since January 5th, though, Purchase Intent has stayed consistently higher than in 2022, with fewer spikes and jumps. Moreover, these high Purchase Intent Rates have continued into February thus far, which may indicate that eCommerce shoppers will be buying more regularly in 2023. Now, more than ever, alcohol brands should seize this opportunity to optimize their strategies and reach consumers when they are ready to buy.
Instagram x Drizly was the leading channel x retailer mix for January
When looking at social channels, the MikMak Shopping Index showed that Instagram had the highest Purchase Intent Rate at 16.4 percent (2.2 x the January average of 7.4 percent). Facebook followed, driving a Purchase Intent Rate of 8.4 percent (1.1 x the January average). Meanwhile, other major social channels drove less-than-average Purchase Intent Rates in the past month.
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On a retailer level, quick delivery options won this past January. Drizly was the top retailer with 32.6 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks (which measures in-market traffic) among the Top 5. Drizly’s success could be thanks to the exciting end of the NFL season in January; if shoppers were hosting viewing parties, they might have to look for a convenient option like Drizly to grab their last-minute alcohol needs. Walmart followed Drizly with 22.1 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks. Other quick delivery options, Total Wine, and Instacart, followed, with Purchase Intent Rates of 19.3 percent and 18.3 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, local grocery options, like Kroger and Albertson’s, drove 8.8 percent of Purchase Intent Clicks.
Across retailers, whiskey brands saw great success in January, being among the top products purchased in the MikMak Shopping Index. Alongside whiskey were cognac and tequila brands, with liquor ultimately outperforming beer and wine in January.
Across retailers, whiskey brands saw great success in January, being among the top products purchased in the MikMak Shopping Index. Alongside whiskey were cognac and tequila brands, with liquor ultimately outperforming beer and wine in January.
Florida had the highest Purchase Intent Rates in the US; most people were purchasing on Thursdays
Breaking out the data by region, shoppers in the sunny state of Florida were most likely to purchase alcoholic beverages online, with a Purchase Intent Rate of 12.9 percent (1.7 x the January average).
Further data showed that alcohol shoppers were also most likely to buy on Thursdays, with a Purchase Intent Rate of 9.4 percent. However, Sundays had the most traffic of any day of the week.
Enhance convenience and shoppability to create a seamless experience for shoppers
As the data shows, consumers are shopping for alcohol this year. Enabling multi retailer checkout throughout your media, including your brand website, can improve your marketing effectiveness. MikMak customer, Garrison Brother Distillery, created a series of 30-second shoppable videos that showcased their products and brand story. Using MikMak, they enabled viewers to purchase products directly from the videos, increasing the chances of a successful sale. With this initiative, the brand saw 9 percent higher Purchase Intent Rates than the category average. Find out how your brand can do the same with MikMak, and schedule a demo today.
